This invention relates generally to covers for open bed vehicles, and specifically to a telescoping cover assembly for open bed vehicles.
The last few years have seen a marked increase in consumer interest in recreation vehicles of all designs, including self-powered campers, trailers and "toppers" which fit on the open bed of a vehicle such as a pickup truck. It is this latter category which seemingly enjoys the most activity, due to the versatility they add to pickup trucks already owned by individuals such as contractors, farmers, constructors, and sportsman.
The most common type of pickup cover is that which is of one piece construction and is removably affixed to the walls of the truck bed. To remove these devices, one must either employ a system of jacks or enlist the assistance of several good sized men. These one piece structures offer limited versatility in that they may be used only as a camper and as a means for storage; however, large cargo items cannot be loaded into the truck bed without completely removing the topper itself. Also, these one piece devices do not offer ready access to all portions of the truck bed; i.e., the only way to reach items stored in the front of the bed is to go in through the tail gate area.
Several movable open bed covers, including telescopic covers, are known in the prior art. Attention is directed to the following U.S. patents which disclose bed covers which are either movable or pivotable to expose the bed area; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,768,858; 3,762,762; 3,765,716 and 3,785,698. Telescopic covers, more related to the instant invention, are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,165,352; 3,762,763; 3,640,565, and 3,578,379. While the patents mentioned above represent a type of cover available to the trade, none possess the improved cover sections, guides, mountings, and tail gate structures disclosed herein, nor the improved construction by which the cover sections may be pivoted either individually or as a unit away from the open bed to provide unrestricted access to the bed.